University of Adelaide researchers will play key roles in two new multimillion dollar national research centres boosting space industry and energy storage technologies.
The Australian Government has announced two new Cooperative Research Centres in which the University is a partner: the SmartSat CRC and the Future Battery Industries CRC.
"Under its new strategic plan the University of Adelaide will pursue growth in research income and expenditure, aligned with industry and community need in order to benefit existing industry and create new economic opportunity," says Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Engagement) Professor Bruce Northcote.
"We have established five new industry engagement priorities which match our research strengths with key areas of priority for this State and nation.
"Our participation in these two new national research centres align with our priorities of Defence, Cyber and Space, and Energy, Mining and Resources."
SmartSat CRC
The SmartSat CRC – with a $55 million Government investment on top of $167 million in cash and in-kind from 84 research and industry partners – will catalyse the transformation and growth of Australia's space industry with focussed activity in three key areas: advanced communications, intelligent satellite systems, and Earth observation.
The University's research leadership in artificial intelligence and machine learning, space situational awareness, space manufacturing, advanced communications and electromagnetics, cybersecurity, and space law will contribute to the CRC's research programs.
University centres involved will include: the Centre for Defence Communications and Information Networking, the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, Research Unit for Military Law and Ethics, and the Adelaide Applied Electromagnetics Group (AAEG).
Future Battery Industries CRC
The Future Battery Industries CRC – with a $25 million Government investment on top of $110 million in cash and in-kind from the 58 partners – will help tackle industry‑identified gaps in the battery industries value chain, support battery deployment and optimise the circular economy for battery waste recycling.
The University of Adelaide is one of the core research providers in this CRC, which will focus on three research programs: battery industry development; the processing of minerals; and metals and materials for batteries and the development of a new battery storage system.
University of Adelaide researchers with a range of leading expertise in energy storage, battery technology and energy economics will be involved in all three programs.
The latest two CRC projects brings the total of CRCs the University is currently involved in to 13. The other 11 CRCs are MinEx, Future Fuels, Fight Food Waste, Cyber Security, Honey Bee Products, Innovative Manufacturing, Data to Decisions, Bushfire and Natural Hazards, Optimising Resource Extraction, High Integrity Australian Pork and Energy Pipelines.
